Birds, Squirrels, Rabbits, Oh My!

                                                          

                                       Birds and Butterflies are attracted to simple pleasures:
                                                 food, water and shelter,
                                                                                     Oblige them.



     Seems we are having our share of rainy days this spring  but we may wish for the rain if our summer turns out to be a hot dry one. So I guess we have to take what we get and make the best of it.
     I actually don't mind since I have work that needs to be done inside and the rain makes it easier to accomplish that.

      Like my Poppies it is now my Peonies  that are hanging their heads. Peonies are so pretty, with their mass of petals and intoxicating scent but they do not fair well in the rain. Drooping down, they look as sad as we do to see the rain.

Mom, Dad and baby Robins

      
 When the rain comes so do the worms and the
Robins. You might remember the Robin I had in my yard, the one that was using my basket lining for it's nest. Well, I have had a Robin family in the backyard the past few weeks and I am guessing it is the same one, with baby in tow. They have been eagerly searching for worms with great success.

Baby Robin

      We used to have a very large Silver Maple in our yard but unfortunately we had to have it taken down. It was a great magnet for an array of wildlife and I have been trying since to recreate the lure without the tree.
      We did put in a Weeping Japanese Cherry which is  proving to be a draw for the birds and now the squirrels.
      I got a new feeder this year which I hung in that tree and it seems it has attracted more than the birds.  Now I have had lots of experience with  squirrels but it still amazes me how persistent and flexible they are when they want something. Here is a picture of one squirrel just hanging out, having a snack. He eventually managed to knock the feeder to the ground and had a feast.
      As the saying goes, 'be careful what you wish for'. I did say I wanted more wildlife!!

        I also have several bird houses and there are a couple that the birds seem to favour year after year. I have had two families of Sparrows so far this year, each with a couple of babies.
        In the backyard house only one of the babies survived but he was very entertaining. As you can see in one of the pictures he is hanging out of the opening, waiting for his breakfast. I guess they were too long in coming so he dosed off. I thought for sure he was going to fall out.

Having a nap

     Over the past several years we have had Mourning Doves nesting in our yard, I haven't seen them yet this year. One year they nested in one of my hanging baskets. When I watered, they would just sit,  watching closely but never moving.  They are such calm and gentle birds and I love hearing the cooing sound they make. Hopefully they will decide to come back.
     The Cardinals and Finch's are frequent visitors but I am hoping to attract Orioles and Hummingbirds this year. I have two Hummingbird feeders and a orange holder for the Orioles so here's hoping. I also have planted my flower beds with plants to attract the birds. One of the biggest successes has been my Butterfly Bush. The butterflies love it and I have had a couple of Hummingbirds over the past couple of years. Another great plant is Globe Thistle, the Finches love it.

Orange holder

Hummingbird feeder

      
    Now  I know a lot of people do not appreciate having Rabbits in the backyard. I actually don't mind because they are so darned cute. We have two babies that would fit in the palm of my hand and really are adorable. I just wish they would share better. You know, leave at least half the plant for me, why eat the whole thing there is plenty to choose from.
     There seem to be certain plants they love, Delphinium, Clematis, Purple Coneflowers, to name a few. I usually protect them by placing a collar around their base and that does seem to help but this year they seem to have found a few new ones they like. I came out the other day to find one of the rabbits chewing on my Bachelor's Buttons. I guess he heard me coming and he froze as rabbits do, with a flower in his mouth, talk about being caught red handed. I have to admit it was pretty cute.
             

  
     There are always a few animals we don't want in our backyard, like the Racoons or the Skunks but we can't have it both ways. The good with the bad, that is true in all of life isn't it.
     It seems I got what I wished for and I hope the wildlife keeps on coming. So if you want to attract wildlife to your backyard, plant a little extra, that way you won't miss what's being eaten. Expect them to take what they think is their's, they don't know the difference and it's there for the taking.

Happy Gardening!
                                        

The fragrant garden.

Lavender garden.

                                  
                    "When you walk through 
                          a fragrant garden
                       it's like listening to a 
                              Symphony."
                                           -Mike Shoup



    
                                  
                                              
                                                               
                                   
                                    
                                                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                      
 I spent the last three days in the garden and am happy to say I have finally finished edging, turning soil and weeding. Not that weeding is ever really finished but it feels like it if only for a day.

 I have what I like to call my 'Zen' garden, it consists of ground covers, grasses and flagstone. I have a stone bench, a Buddha,  and a fountain. It was meant to be a quite spot in my yard, a place of peace.

  Now I have found in the spring it has become the last place I want to go, I seem to avoid it and leave it to the last of my garden chores. Yes, it is a chore.  

My 'Zen' garden.

 I leave some of my grasses, the ones with winter appeal, until the spring to cut back which has proven to be difficult at best. The plants seem to grow quickly in this garden and by the time I decide to clean it out it is very unruly. Then, I leave it longer because I can't bring myself to go in there and yes then it
has grown even more. So all that said, it is now finally cleaned out and it looks really good, even peaceful.

Peace

 I was also pulling a few weeds out of a step that is a bed of ground cover yesterday. My dog was close by not paying to much attention until I was among the Lemon Thyme. She came over very curious trying to figure out where the smell was coming from. She had her nose in the garden bin smelling, eagerly looking for something good to eat. She does the same to the lavender, sticking her head right into it and giving it a shake, she also loves the mint, basil and tomatoes.

Step filled with ground covers.

                                                                 

 Scent. It has been said that smell is one of the strongest triggers for memory. It is one of my favorite things in the garden.  I love to plant Lemon Thyme in a place like the step or my 'Zen' garden so when I lightly tread on it, it will emit a lovely lemon scent. As I mentioned I have Lavender, a whole bed of it and I love to run my hands through it just to get that amazing smell. Another favorite is Pineapple Sage, it has such a strong scent and a beautiful red flower in the fall. I usually plant it among my flowers so I get to enjoy it whenever I am working in that bed.
  If for nothing else but for their scent I suggest you plant some herbs. Be it an herb garden, potted herbs or a few tucked in with your flowers, you will not be disappointed. So go out and plant a fragrant garden.

Happy Gardening!

Rainy days

                                     "Remember that there is no such
                                         thing as failure in the garden,
                                        only composting opportunities"
                                                                         
                                                                               - Mark Cullen

 I found this quote in the paper on the week-end, what a great way to look at gardening. I have a friend who doesn't like to throw any plant out and I agree to a point. I will try to find a new spot for a plant I really like if it is not working where it is. I will offer it up to whoever would like it but if I can't find a home for it so be it. Now I will look at it a new way, composting!

 As much as we all want the sunshine and dislike these rainy days we have been having when I look out at the plants it almost as if you can see them getting greener. They seem to thrive in the rain as if it is
satisfying a much needed thirst. Unfortunately my poppies are not so pleased.  Just when they have popped there heads and unfurled their delicate petals the rain has beaten them down. I still have a few unopened ones that will hopefully enjoy some sunshine tomorrow.

My poppies before the rain.

 I was out at the garden centre on the week-end and am happy to report that I found the herb Borage that I have been searching for. I was also lucky enough to find a Clematis 'Sweet Autumn' that I had been looking for. I lost mine over the winter and it was my favorite Clematis. It blooms a mass of small white flowers in late summer/early fall and manages to cover a large part of my fence. It also has an amazing scent which just adds to the sweet smell of fall.

'Sweet Autumn' Clematis

 In my search I  came across an herb called 'Immortality Herb'. I had not heard of it before but was intrigued by it's name, kind of reminded me of something magical so I bought a plant.
  I came home and looked it up and apparently it has the same qualities as Ginseng. It is supposedly good for many things and sounds like a wonder herb. The leaves can be harvested for tea so I will have to give it a try. It can be used as a climber or trailer so if nothing else it will be a nice addition to my planter. All in all it was a successful trip to the garden centre.

 Tomorrow we have a promise of sunshine so if the weather man is right we can be out in our gardens, sun in our faces and hands in the dirt.

Happy Gardening!


                     
                                                                   
                            

Herbs and Roses

                                                  'To plant a garden is to believe in
                                                                   Tomorrow'

                                                                                      -Audrey Hepburn


    I was hoping to have a post before the long week-end but as it turns out the long week-end has come and gone and here I am.
  
    It was a beautiful week-end as promised and I am happy to say I accomplished quite a lot. The beds are mostly weed free, the soil is turned and a few lucky beds have fresh soil.

 I also managed to do some flower shopping and bought quite a few new plants. I bought several tomato plants such as Early Girl, Grape tomatoes, Heirloom and Brandywine Red. I managed to buy most of my herbs but couldn't find Rosemary and Basil, apparently they were out. How, I would like to know do you run out of Rosemary and Basil at the beginning of summer and the long week-end. Really!!

Solar Lilies

   I was also looking for Borage, which I am learning is difficult to find. It has a stunning blue star shaped flower that can be used in drinks as a coolant and the leaves can be used in salad (they taste a little like cucumber) The plant itself grows to about 20" tall. If you are lucky enough to come upon this herb give it a try, just remember to harvest the leaves while they are young otherwise they will be a little hairy.
 If you don't want to use any part of it, it is worth growing just for the beauty of it and the bees also love it which is an added bonus.


 I had a birthday this month and was lucky enough to receive some lovely gifts for the garden from family and friends. I lost several pieces of garden decor last year during fall clean-up so it was just what I needed to give some new life to the yard.  The pictures I have attached are some of those pieces.

 I think the last few days of sun and rain have been perfect for the plants, they seem to be thriving. It is actually perfect weather for anything newly planted.

Garden Fairy

 Speaking of which I planted a rose garden on the week-end. I already had the garden but it was becoming overgrown with Lilies, Irises and Hostas.  I had a climbing rose in the garden already so decided to put in three roses instead of the Hostas and Lilies. I left the Irises because for one they are ready to bloom and two I think they will complement the Roses even when they have finished blooming.
  I bought two Hybrid Tea roses (red and white) and one Old Fashioned rose (peach). The Hybrid Teas have long stems, perfect for cutting and all have large blooms with a strong fragrance. There is nothing quite like the scent of a rose and always triggers memories of childhood for me.
 I was discussing roses with an acquaintance today who mentioned that he puts epsom salts in his soil around the base of the roses. If you find that your rose leaves turn yellow the epsom salts will add iron and apparently help with keeping your rose leaves green. I plan to give this a try so will let you know if it works.                          

 Before I sign off for today, if you are dividing plants or just discarding ones you no longer want think of putting them to the side of the road. You will be amazed how quickly they will disappear and it is nice to think of your plant surviving in someone else's garden.

 Happy gardening.

                                    

Nesting and Hellebore

                                                  "Hark I hear a robin calling!
                                                 List, the wind is from the south!
                                               And the orchard-bloom is falling
                                                 Sweet as kisses on the mouth."  

                                                                   -Lucy Maud Montgomery,
                                                                       "Spring Song"


  It's a sure sign of spring when the widows are open and you are waking up to a symphony of birds. Spring, a time of rebirth, the miracle of life is all around us, especially in our gardens. Flower beds that look dead suddenly spring to life and the wildlife all around is procreating. With some sunshine, water and a little patience (okay sometimes a lot) the plants that looked dead suddenly are bursting with color, brightening up our gardens once again.

Shade garden

Phlox and Primrose

Japanese weeping cherry

  I have a robin who has decided that the lining of my flower basket is the perfect material for a nest. The lining is old so I really don't mind and I have to agree, it is great nesting material. He came back several times over a couple of days so there is no doubt I will need a new liner. I think I've made his job easier since he didn't have to search for materials elsewhere.
 Now if I only knew where the nest was I could see the finished project.
 My pictures are a little foggy looking but I was taking them through the window.

  I have been out in the garden the past few days trying to clean out the beds and get cages around anything that needs it. I was away last week and can't believe how quickly everything is growing. It almost seems as if we skipped spring and went straight to summer. Not that I'm complaining but I do love that gradual flow of spring to summer. The fresh smell of the air, the mornings where you still need a sweater but can sit with your coffee and enjoy the sun like a warm blanket.

  While I was away I went plant shopping with my mother and sister. As usual I managed to buy more than what I really needed but I believe that if you really like a plant you will find a place for it.
I was happy because I found a variegated variety of Sea Holly. I had been looking for Sea Holly last year, finding a variegated one was a bonus. I was also very excited when I found a Hellebore (Christmas Rose) at Independent. They had their spring planters for $24.99, it had two Hellebore's in it with  two pansies and  three English Daisies. What a find, thank-you Independent. I also bought some perennials native to Ontario, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, False Solomon's Seal, a Purple Trillium, Hepatica and Giant Blue Lobelia. This should fill in my one shade garden nicely. Never underestimate your local grocery store's garden centre.

Hellebore

  It is supposed to rain over the next few days so hopefully I will be able to finish my clean-up and get the rest of my new plants in the ground before that happens. I think this has to be the earliest I've ever planted, I usually play by the rule of nothing before the May 24 week-end. But the sun is shining, the birds are nesting and spring is in the air. So I will break the rules and hope you will too.
  Happy Gardening!

Getting started

Chives.

                 'Some people like to make a 
                       a little garden out of life.'
                                                          -Jean Anouilh
                        
                       

One of my flowerbeds

 I have been keeping a garden journal for years, sort of a mixed media type journal. It only seemed natural to me that my next step should be a gardening blog.
 I don't claim to be an expert gardener by any means but I do love to garden. I have been working on my garden for about twenty years now and as the saying goes 'a garden is never finished'. I am notorious for moving plants from place to place to place, even the ones who don't like to be moved.       Sometimes I am successful and sometimes not. It's all about finding the perfect spot for the plants.
As is this blog, gardening is a learning process and hopefully I can add some insight for anyone trying to do the same and learn as well from anyone wanting to share.
 As we all wait for the warmer weather so we can get our hands in the dirt I will work on my blog and
hopefully someone will read it. Until then, happy planning, happy dreaming. Happy Gardening!